Arch Linux

rime@etik.com

Member

Registered: 2023-02-08

Posts: 12

[SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

A few days ago after a kernel and grub2 upgrade I tried to reboot the system only to found that it just stucked in grub2 with the 'Error: the initrd is too big' prompt. Before this happen I changed a WIFI chip to an intel ax200 to replace the preinstalled realtek one, now I can only get into the system by arch-chroot with a live usb.

After this I tried mkinitcpio -p to rebuild the initramfs by

 # mkinitcpio -p linux 

and

 # grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB 

 # grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg 

but it doesn't work.

the mkinitcpio.conf of the system:

#vim:set ft=sh
# MODULES
# The following modules are loaded before any boot hooks are
# run.  Advanced users may wish to specify all system modules
# in this array.  For instance:
#     MODULES=(piix ide_disk reiserfs)
MODULES=(btrfs)

# BINARIES
# This setting includes any additional binaries a given user may
# wish into the CPIO image.  This is run last, so it may be used to
# override the actual binaries included by a given hook
# BINARIES are dependency parsed, so you may safely ignore libraries
BINARIES=()

# FILES
# This setting is similar to BINARIES above, however, files are added
# as-is and are not parsed in any way.  This is useful for config files.
FILES=(/crypto_keyfile.bin)

# HOOKS
# This is the most important setting in this file.  The HOOKS control the
# modules and scripts added to the image, and what happens at boot time.
# Order is important, and it is recommended that you do not change the
# order in which HOOKS are added.  Run 'mkinitcpio -H <hook name>' for
# help on a given hook.
# 'base' is _required_ unless you know precisely what you are doing.
# 'udev' is _required_ in order to automatically load modules
# 'filesystems' is _required_ unless you specify your fs modules in MODULES
# Examples:
##   This setup specifies all modules in the MODULES setting above.
##   No raid, lvm2, or encrypted root is needed.
#    HOOKS=(base)
#
##   This setup will autodetect all modules for your system and should
##   work as a sane default
#    HOOKS=(base udev autodetect block filesystems)
#
##   This setup will generate a 'full' image which supports most systems.
##   No autodetection is done.
#    HOOKS=(base udev block filesystems)
#
##   This setup assembles a pata mdadm array with an encrypted root FS.
##   Note: See 'mkinitcpio -H mdadm' for more information on raid devices.
#    HOOKS=(base udev block mdadm encrypt filesystems)
#
##   This setup loads an lvm2 volume group on a usb device.
#    HOOKS=(base udev block lvm2 filesystems)
#
##   NOTE: If you have /usr on a separate partition, you MUST include the
#    usr, fsck and shutdown hooks.
HOOKS=(base udev keyboard autodetect modconf block encrypt filesystems fsck)

# COMPRESSION
# Use this to compress the initramfs image. By default, zstd compression
# is used. Use 'cat' to create an uncompressed image.
COMPRESSION="zstd"
#COMPRESSION="gzip"
#COMPRESSION="bzip2"
#COMPRESSION="lzma"
#COMPRESSION="xz"
#COMPRESSION="lzop"
#COMPRESSION="lz4"

# COMPRESSION_OPTIONS
# Additional options for the compressor
#COMPRESSION_OPTIONS=()

and the ESP of this system:

drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4.0K Nov 16 14:51 EFI
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  3.5M Feb 7 20:19 System.map-6.1.10-AMD
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  3.5M Jan 20 16:20 amd-ucode.img
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root  4.0K Feb 8  14:08 grub
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  31M Feb 8 15:40 initramfs-linux-amd-fallback.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  15M Feb 8 15:40 initramfs-linux-amd.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  37M Feb  7 20:15 initramfs-linux-fallback.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  33M Feb  7 20:16 initramfs-linux-hardened-fallback.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  15M Feb  7 20:16 initramfs-linux-hardened.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  39M Feb  7 20:17 initramfs-linux-mainline-fallback.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  16M Feb  7 20:16 initramfs-linux-mainline.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  38M Feb  7 20:16 initramfs-linux-zen-fallback.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  16M Feb  7 20:16 initramfs-linux-zen.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  15M Feb  7 20:15 initramfs-linux.img
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  11M Feb  7 20:14 vmlinuz-linux
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  10M Feb  7 20:14 vmlinuz-linux-amd
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 9.6M Feb  7 20:14 vmlinuz-linux-hardened
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  11M Feb  7 20:14 vmlinuz-linux-lts
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  12M Feb  7 20:14 vmlinuz-linux-mainline
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  12M Feb  7 20:14 vmlinuz-linux-zen

Last edited by rime@etik.com (2023-02-11 00:05:36)

skunktrader

Member

From: Brisbane, Australia

Registered: 2010-02-14

Posts: 1,677

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Do you have enough free space on the partition?

rime@etik.com

Member

Registered: 2023-02-08

Posts: 12

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Do you have enough free space on the partition?

If what you are referring is the boot partition, it has 176.5M avail.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Check the firmware ("BIOS") options and see if you can disable "memory hole remapping" as per https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour … bug/429898.

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

rime@etik.com

Member

Registered: 2023-02-08

Posts: 12

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Check the firmware ("BIOS") options and see if you can disable "memory hole remapping" as per https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour … bug/429898.

The thing is this option doesn't exist in my BIOS, perhaps it should be updated?

Last edited by rime@etik.com (2023-02-09 02:49:24)

rime@etik.com

Member

Registered: 2023-02-08

Posts: 12

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Found a kernel that can boot into dmesg and here is what has come out:

[  3.794283] Kernel panic - not syncing: System is deadlocked on memory
[  3.794302] CPU: 6 PID: 1 Comm: Init Not tainted 6.1.10-AMD #1
[  3.794319] Hardware name: LENOVO 82DM/LNVNB161216, BIOS FOCN1SWW 04.27.2020
[  3.794337] Call Trace:
[  3.794345] <TASK>
[  3.794353] dump_stack_lul+0x44/0x5c
[  3.794366] panic+Ox118/0x2bd
[  3.794380] out_of_memory.cold+0x2f/0x?e
[  3.794393] __alloc_pages_slowpath.constprop.0+0xc?b/0xdcO
[  3.794412] __alloc_pages+0x305/0x330
[  3.794426] __alloc_pages_bulk+0x3ca/0x6e0
[  3.794442] _vmalloc_node_range+0x274/0x830
[  3.794458] ? kernel_clone+0xbf/0x3c0
[  3.794473]  copy_process+0x5d6,/0x1a00
[  3.794486] ? kernel_clone+0xbf/0x3c0
[  3.794501] kernel_clone+0xbf/0x3c0
[  3.794515] __do_sys_clone+0x7d/0xb0
[  3.794530] do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x90
[  3.794544] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+Ox4b/0xbS
[  3.794560] RIP: 0033:0x7f98bad1ee87
[  3.794571] Code: 00 00 90 f3 Of 1e fa 64 48 8b 04 25 10 00 00 00 45 31 c0 31 d2 31 f6 bf T11 00 20 01 4c 84 90 d0 02 00 00 b8 38 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 39 89 c2 85 c0 75 2c 64 48 8b 04 25 10 00 00
[  3.794613] RSP: 002b:000077fffffadf58 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000038
[  3.794633] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 00007f98bad1ee87
[  3.794652] RDX: 0000060000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000001200011
[  3.794670] REP: 0000000000000000 ROS: 0000000000000000 RO9: O000000000000000
[  3.794687] R10: 00007f98bac4aal0 Ril: 0000000000000246 R1Z: 0000000000000001
[  3.794705] R13: 000055f0eB4b02c8 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000
[  3.794725] </TASK>
[  3.794827] Kernel Offset: 0x8000000 from OxfffffffF81000000 (relocation range: Oxffffffff800000000-0xffffffffbfffffff)
[  3.797161] ———[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: System is deadlocked on memory ]—---

Last edited by rime@etik.com (2023-02-09 06:26:01)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Found a kernel that can boot into dmesg

What does that mean, exactly? Where did you find it? How did you get the system booting? Please provide the full commands.

I would check the memory health but that's just a stab in the dark.

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

rime@etik.com

Member

Registered: 2023-02-08

Posts: 12

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Found a kernel that can boot into dmesg

What does that mean, exactly? Where did you find it? How did you get the system booting? Please provide the full commands.

I would check the memory health but that's just a stab in the dark.

It's a boot option inside grub.

the full boot option is like this:

setparams 'Arch Linux, with linux-amd'
               
          load_video
          set gfxpayload=keep
          insmod gzio
          insmod part_gpt
          insmod fat
         search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 5BAE-9C25
         echo         'Loading Linux linux-amd'
         linux        /vmlinuz-linux-amd root=UUID=b1475fb3-7ab5-4994-a3ee-1e0f6115311 rw rootflag=@ loglevel=3 cryptdevice=UUID=6a6c123-e2a6-4d7f-8ae8-d9a1c0602eb0:cryptroot lsm=landlock,lockdown,yama,integrity,apparmor,bpf mem=128M ramoops.mem_address=0x8000000 ramoops.ecc=1
         echo         'Loading initial ramdisk'
         initrd       /amd-ucode.img /initramfs-linux-amd.img
 

Situation update:

Don't know why but i tried to modify the mem parameter to 8192M and it's now able to boot into desktop.

Or delete the mem parameter in boot options, this also works but both of them leads to a nearly full disk space (The avail space displayed is much smaller than what should be) and smaller usable RAM (only 11.5G/16G).

About RAM: It's because of the UMA buffer size in BIOS has been configured as 4G.

Last edited by rime@etik.com (2023-02-10 15:48:21)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Why are you using the ramoops module? Reserving all RAM above 128MiB for panic logs doesn't seem sensible.

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

rime@etik.com

Member

Registered: 2023-02-08

Posts: 12

Re: [SOLVED] Error: the initrd is too big

Why are you using the ramoops module? Reserving all RAM above 128MiB for panic logs doesn't seem sensible.

IIRC, it's an unnecessary kernel kernel parameter after I changed that Realtek wifi chip with a new one for that chip constantly causes kernel panic at anytime. Maybe what I have done was just copied & paste something from kernel doc...

Last edited by rime@etik.com (2023-02-11 00:06:19)